Tag: BBQ Sauce

Recipe: Chef Michael Allemeier’s Evans Cherry BBQ Sauce

Posted on by Sharman

Chef Allemeier's Evans Cherry BBQ Sauce

Last month Calgary played host to the first annual Brewery and The Beast, an event that brought together an incredible line up of chefs from Alberta who showcased their passion for all things meat. My first stop at the outdoor event was to see Chef Michael Allemeier and his colleagues at the SAIT School of Tourism and Hospitality.

The SAIT crew was serving up Smoked Hill View Colony pork shoulder, or as Chef Allemeier would call it, real BBQ. The cleaver chopped pieces of smoked pork shoulder were accented with Chef Allemeier’s hand-picked Evans Cherry BBQ sauce.

Chef Allemeier wanted me to stress that the key to the sauce is truly in the cherries. The Evans Cherry is a sour cherry that comes from a hardy tree that happens to grow well in Alberta. Even my mom has one of the self pollinating trees in her backyard; I raid her freezer for them often. If you don’t have that luxury you can pick or pick up up Evans Cherries at local orchards or at a farmer’s markets.

If you don’t own multiple smokers like Chef Allemeier, don’t worry, this sauce will be great on any piece of pork. Mix it in with your pulled pork, as a finishing sauce on ribs, as dip for your grilled pork chops, or on top as the perfect glaze for a pork tenderloin.

Chef Michael Allemeier’s Evans Cherry BBQ Sauce

2.5L               fresh Evans Cherries
400ml            brown sugar
400ml            honey
200ml            white sugar
400ml            raspberry vinegar
400ml            cider vinegar
750ml            ketchup
1.4L               water
15                  pods green cardamom
5                    quills cinnamon
5cm               ginger – peeled and sliced
15ml              red thai chili paste

Method

  1. Bring all ingredients to a simmer and simmer for five minutes.
  2. With hand blender – carefully puree cherries.
  3. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
  4. Pass through a sieve and chill.

Chef Allemeier

House of Q BBQ Sauce

Posted on by Sharman

IMG_3079At Porkapalooza in June I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Misko of House of Q and tasting his gluten free BBQ sauce. Sweet, savoury, and even some spice, I was instantly addicted.

House of Q launched their bbq sauce and spice line in 2007 and their signature Apple Butter BBQ Sauce has been declared the number one bbq sauce in Alberta twice at the BBQ on the Bow BBQ Championships and the 3rd best bbq sauce in North America at the National BBQ Festival in Douglas, Georgia. 

Brian and his wife have created an at-home business with products that are in demand and distributed across the country. Sauce flavours include:

  • Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
  • Slow Smoke Gold BBQ Sauce
  • Sugar and Spice BBQ Sauce 
  • Rock’n Red BBQ Sauce.  

Click here to see a full listing of retail locations in Alberta or across Canada. If you are in Edmonton you can grab a bottle at Acme Meat Market Ltd., Barbecue Country, Easyford Cattle Co, Mundare Sausage House, Real Deal Meats Ltd, Smokin’ Iron Farms, and Sunterra Markets – Lendrum. 

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This weekend I modified a House of Q Hurry Up Grilled Pork Ribs recipe, creating a super simple lazy-girl way to cook ribs.  This is what I did:

  1. Start by removing the membrane on the back of the ribs. Lift an edge of the tough film and then use a paper towel to help you grab the membrane. If you have a good grip of it, you can pull the whole thing off in one pull.
  2. Smear your sauce of choice all over the ribs and then coat generously with House of Q House Rub or your own salt/rub combination. Let the rib sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so the rub can start to draw moisture from the meat and stick to the ribs. If you move the ribs too soon, all of the rub will fall off.
  3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place ribs in a casserole dish and cover with a lid. I like to use my cast-iron La Crueset pot. Cook for 2 1/2 hours.
  4. If you want to reserve the ribs to cook later in the day or the next day, remove from the pot and allow to cool before storing in the fridge for later use. Otherwise, prepare your grill for low heat.
  5. Brush ribs with additional BBQ Sauce, place on grill, and close the lid. Flip at 5-7 minutes, ribs should be caramelized and lightly grilled. 
  6. Remove the racks from the grill and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut between the bones for each portion and serve.